1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a carton for conveniently dispensing small confections or like articles and more particularly, to a carton having a top wall provided with a sliding closure which can be opened by the user to dispense small articles one at a time therethrough.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Cartons havong a slide top closure are known in the art. For example, in my copending application Ser. No. 790,573, filed Apr. 25, 1977, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,094,456, a carton made from a single blank is disclosed which includes a slidable closure panel disposed between overlapping flaps which form the top wall of the carton. Aligned openings are provided in the top wall closure flaps which are separated and closed by the slide closure panel. By sliding the panel laterally with respect to the overlapping top flaps, the aligned openings in the closure flaps are brought into registration so as to enable the carton user to dispense one or more articles from the interior of the carton through the openings.
While the slidable closure of the prior art carton operates satisfactorily, the formation of such a carton from a single blank requires an adjustment in standard folding equipment to modify the folding sequence of the top wall flaps.
Normally, the top closure of single blank cartons are formed by first folding side flaps connected to the sides of the carton blank over each other and then forming the top closure by folding the front and back top wall closure flaps over the side flaps and adhesively connecting each of the top wall closure flaps to the other.
In the prior art carton, one of the side flaps forms the slide closure. For the slide closure to operate properly, the slide side flap must rest on a flap under it for support or else it will fall into the interior of the carton and thereby be rendered ineffective to reclose a dispensing opening in the top wall closure when the slidable flap is slid laterally relative thereto. Accordingly, to form the prior art carton, the normal folding sequence of the flaps must be modified, and the equipment for folding the flaps adjusted accordingly, so that the slide closure panel is disposed on top of one of the front and back top closure flaps and then the other of the front and back top closure flaps folded thereover so that the sliding closure is disposed between the top closure flaps. The sliding closure panel can then rest on the top of the front and back top closure flaps. When the slidable closure panel is slid laterally, aligned openings in the front and back top closure flaps will be placed in registration so as to be in a position to dispense a portion of the contents from the carton through the registered openings.
Furthermore, since the side slide closure panel must be positioned between the front and back top closure flaps, the top closure flaps cannot be adhesively joined to each other because of the slide closure disposed therebetween. This necessitates that an extension panel be connected to the free edge of one of the front and back top closure flaps to be glued to the front or back of the carton to provide the top wall closure.
The slide top dispenser carton of the present invention solves these problems and enables the carton to be folded on conventional equipment wherein the folding sequence of the flaps need not be modified nor the equipment adjusted accordingly. Further, the extension panel to complete the top wall closure is eliminated. Because the design of the present invention enables the top wall closure flaps to be folded in conventional sequence, the blank from which the carton is formed can also be made to nest in two directions on the paperboard from which it is cut to take additional advantage of economical use of the paperboard.